Wire crimping tool with cam-slot actuating means



April 9, 1957 s. N. BUCHANAN ET AL 2,787,925

WIRE. CRIMPING TOOL WITH CAM-SLOT ACTUATING MEANS Filed June 8. 1954 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 FIG. I FIG. 2

35% 36 l5\ #15 l9 I 5 9: I4 E i 1 4 36 E 38 zs pqrg 42 I I I g z 45 l i I I I I ,23 39 I .j 1 f I I l l 1 I /4 l2 l6 l2 1 I 1 I INJENTORS STEPHEN N. BUCHANAN,

8: DANlEL KUSlV BY i u! l w/L ATTORNEYS April 9, 1957 s. N. BUCHANAN ETAL WIRE CRIMPING TOOL WITH CAM-SLOT ACTUATING MEANS Filed June 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS AN BY M M ATTORNEYS United States Patent "assignments, toBuchanan Electrical Products Corporation, Hillside,'-N. J., a-corporation of New Jersey Application June8, 1954, Serial N0."435,33 4

2 Claims. ((31. 81--15) The present invention-relates to a multifunctional tool, more especiallyadapted for use in' the insulated electrical wire art.

-Workers dealing-With installations involvinginsulated electrical wire find it necessary to'carry out-a wide variety of operations with-and 'on the latter, such'for example as cutting, splicing, insulation stripping, holding, crimping, etc. It ismanifestly inconvenient as well as uneconomical' to haveto' provide-andmanipulate -a separate tool for-each of these operations. It i-s'therefore a'desideratum in the art to provide a multifunctional tool, i. e. a single tool which is so-constructed that it is adapted to carry out the aforesaid diverse operations.

It is a primary object of the present invention to embody anovelrela tionship ofpartsina toolof the character described, whereby the-aforesaid desideratum may be realized. In other words, it is an object of the invention to embody a'multifunctional tool adaptedto carry out the various different "aforesaid funlctions or operations without the necessity "of a'corresponding multiplicity of tools.

It is a further object ofvthiswinvention to provide an improved crimp'er capable of providing eifective pressure over considerable area,-thus preventing reduction in area or cutting of strands of-wi're I crimpe'd.

The foregoing objects, a and 'others which will hereinafter be apparent to those skilled in the art, is realized by the new tool described in the following detailed specification of a presently-preferred embodiment thereof, illustrated on the accompanying sheets of drawing, and precisely defined in the appended claims.

On the said sheets of drawing:

Fig. 1 is an end view of the multifunctional tool comprising this invention in the closed position;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the tool;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the multifunctional tool in the open position;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the parts of the multifunctional tool; and

Fig. 5 is a cross section of .a wire crimped by the crimping means of the multifunctional tool.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, inner handle has a central cam plate 11, a grip 12 depending therefrom and a jaw member 13 protruding opposite the grip. Outer handle member 14 is comprised of a pair of parallel plates 15 and a second grip member 16 depending therefrom, and has a channel-like recess 17 in its extremity. Protruding from the plates 15 opposite the grip 16 is a pair of jaw retaining ears 18 adapted to hold jaw member 59 between them.

Central cam plate 11 has three radial slots 19 extending outwardly from a central aperture 20 and spaced 120 from each other- Adjacent the outer periphery of the central cam plate are three curved slots 21.

A V-shaped, beveled cutting edge 22 is disposed in the web-like portion 23 which extends between grip 12 and central cam 11.

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2 Three plungers-24are rprovided, each of them-having a crimpingportion-25 which is a concave depression at oneend of the plungerand a-cam engaging-pin26: extending .on-either side of thefaces ofthe iplungers. These plungers 24 are of -a-size to slidably engage withthe slots -19 of the centralrcam plate.

Two auxiliary cam plates, 27 and 28,-:havei'central apertures 29 and three-peripheral apertures 60- spaced at. from-each otheri-at a radiusfromthe central apertures equal to the 'radiusat'which :the curved slots 21.in the central cam plate ll are spaced-from the-aperture '28. In .additi-ony-each auxiliary -icamplate has tln'ee curved slots :31 spacedbetween the -three apertures which curve eccentricallyoutwardly. These .-slots .31are'.of=a size to slidably engage thepins 26 oncrimpingplungers 24. The outer ends -of.slots 31ware disposedover the 'radial slots 19 in central cam-plate llwhenithe toolais in the open position. :Auxiliarycam plate 27carriesra straight, beveled blade .32. on a projection from-its periphery.

A centralaperture-33 is. provided in the parallel-auxiliary cam plate carriers-15 of'the outer handle-member 14. Threeapertures134are located-at 120 from each other and at a radius equaltto the radiusat which .the aperturesfailin auxiliary cam plates 27 and. 28-are located from the central aperture 29 in those cam plates.

The tool .is assembled by. placingthe crimping; plungers 24 in the radialzslots19 inQthe central cam plate .llwwith are positioned :over the (curved .slots '21. :The 7- parallel .plates 15 of'outerhandle member are --.then placed over .the auxiliary .cam .-plates .27 and 28*.in such :a-position that .the apertures-34 are lined :upwith-apertures 30.---in ithe auxiliary cam plates and with curved=-slots-21 -in the central cam plate. Bolts 35 are then passed through apertures 34 in the parallel plates, apertures 30 in the auxiliary cam plates and the curved slots 21 in the central cam plate, and secured in place with nuts 36. The nuts 36 are tightened and hold the parts in engagement but allow relative movement between them.

A spring 37 is provided in order to hold the tool in the opened position. It is attached to a projection 38 on the central cam plate 11 and to a hook 39 in the grip 16 of the outer handle member 14. The spring is so arranged that in the open position of the tool it is unstressed, and when the grips are closed together the spring is placed under tension. Thus release of the force closing the grips permits the spring 37 to move the grip 16 relative to the inner handle member 10 to the open position, as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation of the tool is as follows: When grip portions 12 and 16 are moved toward each other, as by the action of a hand squeezing them together, bolts 35 slide in slots 21 of central cam plate 11, and carry auxiliary cam plates 27 and 28 with parallel plates 15 and thus move them relative to central cam plate 11. This causes the outwardly eccentric curved slots 31 carrying cam engaging pins 26 of plungers 24 to move across radial slots 1? of central cam plate 11. The action of the eccentric slots on the pins slides plungers 24 toward the central aperture 20 in the central cam plate. At the same time,

straight beveled blade 32 is moved across V-shaped bevanswers have moved to the end of curved eccentric slots 31 in auxiliary cam plates 27 and 28. Plungers 24 have moved to the central part of the radial slots 19 moving the crimping portions 25 into the central aperture 20 of central cam plate 11. Cutting blade 32 carried by auxiliary cam plate 27 has moved across beveled V-shaped blade 22 and iaws 59 and 13 have moved into engagement.

Since both of blades 22 and 32 are beveled, their cutting edges can move across the end of a piece of wire on which has been crimped a sleeve or the like cutting the wire flush with the end of the sleeve.

The concave crimping portions 25 on plungers 24 act to crimp a crimping sleeve 49 onto a wire 50 having insulation 51, as shown in Fig. 5. This configuration of the crimping portions enables crimping pressure to be ap- 'plied'on substantially all 'of the circumference of the is secured to the inner handle member by pin 43.

Cam notches 44 are placed in the parallel plates of the outer handle member 14 to receive locking cams 41 in the manner shown in Fig. l, to lock the parallel plates, and thus the outer handle member, from movement relative to the inner handle member.

For the convenience of those utilizing this tool, an-insulation stripping blade 45 is provided in the connecting member 42 of the locking pawl. Likewise an insulation slitting point 46 is positioned in the channel-like recess 17 of the grip on the outer handle member 14. The channel-like recess guides the wire to the slitting blade. In addition a screwdriver blade 47 is attached to the end of the grip 16. Holes 48 may also be provided in the outer handle member to measure the size of wires or screws.

Having thus disclosed the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a wireworking tool having a plurality of centrally converging crimping plungers, means to converge said crimping plungers comprising a central cam plate having a central aperture therein and a plurality of radial slots,

a first grip depending from said central cam plate, said crimping plungers being slidably mounted in said radial slots and having crimping portions in one end thereof toward said central aperture and having cam engaging pins extending from the sides of said plungers, a plurality of auxiliary cam plates having elongated eccentric apertures therein, said auxiliary cam plates rotatably mounted on said central cam plate with said cam engaging pins en gaged in said apertures to slide 'said crimping plungers in a converging or diverging direction depending on the rotation of said auxiliary cam plates relative to said central cam plate, a plurality of auxiliary cam plate carriers fixedly attached to said auxiliary cam plates and having central apertures therein, and a second grip depending from said carriers and spaced from said first grip and adapted to be moved toward said first grip.

2. in a wire working tool having a plurality of centrally converging crimping plungers, means as claimed in claim 1, said central cam plate having a plurality of curved slots with a radius of curvature having a center at the center of said central cam plate, said auxiliary cam plates and said auxiliary cam platecarriers each having a plurality of apertures at the same radius as that of said curved slots in said central cam plate, and a plurality of fastening pins extending through said apertures and slots fastening said central cam plate, said auxiliary cam plates and said auxiliary cam plate carriers, whereby said auxiliary cam plates are rotatably mounted on said central cam plate and said auxiliary cam plate carriers are fixedly at tached to said auxiliary cam plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,394,388 Wisenberg Oct. 18, 1921 1,528,247 Cruickshank Mar. 3, 1925 2,002,502 Douglas May 28, 1935 2,079,498 Douglas May 4, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 323,578 Germany July 28, 1920 367,221 Great Britain Feb. 18, 1932 481,192 Canada Feb. 18, 1952 

